Church of the Redeemer Update

One of the great benefits of our proximity to and relationship with Trinity is the opportunity we all have to be in community with those being formed for Christian leadership and ministry. As baptized Christians we all have a ministry to which we are called and gifts to release into Christ's body. So as we worship and serve with seminarians we are part of their formation process, just as they are part of ours. That's true in any congregation, but we are perhaps more aware of it because of the nature of focused seminary training.

This summer Joshua Beckett is serving as our Seminarian and Intern from Church of the Redeemer. He is working with me directly and our other staff members, and he has been a part of our Redeemer family for some time. I'm grateful for his role in this summer of transitions, and for the many gifts he brings. Please pray for him, welcome him, and get to know this fellow servant, if you don't already.

Jay

The Rev. Jay L. Greener, Rector
Church of the Redeemer
frjay@redeemernorthshore.org

Joshua Beckett Two years ago, when I walked through the doors of the Green Bay Road facility on a Sunday morning and entered into a Redeemer service, I was in a painful place. I had just come off of a difficult first year of my master's program at Trinity, a season filled with roommate conflict, theological crises, financial stress, and general loneliness. That Sunday was Pentecost, and I remember drinking in the unfamiliar but exciting liturgy, the multi-lingual Scripture readings, the sermon about seeking the person of the Holy Spirit, and the celebration of the Eucharist. I came back the next week, and by the week after that I realized that I had found a church home. The God-centered and non-manipulative leadership, the faithful and multi-generational community, and the life-giving rhythm (not to mention lovely aesthetics) of the weekly worship service proved to be a stabilizing and healing combination for me then; and I have come to dearly value this local church body.

Fast-forward to the present. Beginning this summer, I will be doing a part-time pastoral internship under Jay's supervision. This is part of my degree program (M.Div., which I hope to complete next May), and I am thrilled to be able to serve at Redeemer. I hope to learn a great deal through attending staff meetings, participating in various ministries (both visibly and behind the scenes), assisting with event planning, preaching, continuing to teach in the children's ministry, and dialoguing with Jay on several aspects of pastoral ministry in general and the Anglican Mission in particular.

When I'm not at Redeemer or studying for a summer class, I work for North Chicago Community Partners, a non-profit organization which seeks collaboration for community development in—you guessed it—the city of North Chicago (which is where I am currently living). Exploring the relationship between the gospel of Jesus Christ and ministries of compassion and justice is one of my passions, and in the long term I see myself in some kind of cross-cultural/overseas ministry that incorporates both. Other than these activities, I enjoy hanging out with my roommates, singing, hearing a good joke, learning about theology/history/politics/culture, and tasting a new dish. Also, I have found that there are three things I cannot live without: prayer, friendships, and books.

I've at least met most of you over the last two years, and have enjoyed sharing in many great conversations. If we have not connected yet, or if it's been a while since we last talked, I'd love to spend some time with you at coffee hour, over a meal, or at the frisbee golf park. Just flag me down next time you see me. I'm really looking forward to this year!

In the peace of the Lord,

Joshua

Coffee, music and good times flowed Saturday evening at the Journey to Rwanda coffee event at Newport Coffee in Bannockburn. This first official event of the team visit to St. Michael's was met with enthusiastic support from those who came from Redeemer, their friends and community people who dropped in. The coffee was roasted just several days in advance and donated by Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee company in Atlanta. "This is important work with Rwanda that Church of the Redeemer is involved in," observed Land of Thousand Hills' Robert Crowe. "We want to have a share in the ministry and journey, so that's why we have donated the coffee for the night. We're hoping others will contribute as they can." Gifted musicians from Redeemer provided the backdrop as participants learned more about the upcoming trip and sent their greetings to St. Michael's and Sonrise School, either by pen or video. "We're doing all we can to help our congregation feel they are part of this visit, through communication and events," reflected Redeemer's Pastor, the Rev. Jay Greener. "It was just a great evening as excitement and anticipation for this visit builds. Those who attended left feeling a part of the team, which they are." If the music was a little "hot", the weather was perfect for café al fresco on the veranda for conversation and friendship. About $800 was contributed toward the trip's total, now within sight of being met. Thanks for all the work that went into the evening, and for those who joined us.

The best way to stay up on the newest information is through our blog at www.redeemernorthshore.org/rwanda.

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At this point, just a week away from departure, here are some updates:

Pray

Please continue to pray using the prayer card and all the Holy Spirit leads. Add to your prayers the pastor of St. Michaels, Rev. Agnes Kamashara, and the Business Manager of Sonrise School, Marjorie Negesa. Marjorie will be our host and will be traveling with us from Kigali (the capitol city) and Ruhengeri.

Please pray for safe travel, good connections (London, Nairobi) and rest along the way.

Give

Thanks be to God for the many people who have contributed to the cost of the team visit. We are now much closer to reaching our goal of $9,000, which we hope to have met before we depart next Sunday. So far we have received $7,400. You may make a special donation by placing a gift in the offering on Sundays, or by mailing a check to our office at 1713 Green Bay Rd in Highland Park, 60035.

The team (Jay, Jason and Mark) departs next Sunday afternoon from O'Hare. We will have a focused time of prayer during next Sunday morning's worship service.

Redeemer kids would like to invite the entire Church of the Redeemer family to Party in the Park. It will be held during the afternoon of Saturday, June 27 at Everts Park in Highwood.

Please join us for fellowship, lunch, storytelling, games, crafts, and lots of fun! There will be a special interactive and engaging opportunity to enter into some major events in the life and ministry of Jesus, so bring along some friends and jump in!

This is a major outreach event for our church this summer and a great opportunity to get involved. We are looking for those who would love to use their creative abilities to assist with crafts, music, decorating, storytelling or acting, taking photos, or planning the lunch. Please contact Allyson Entner at allysonentner [at] yahoo.com if you would like to be a part of planning this exciting summer event!

Sometimes in our culture money is something we don't talk about directly. It's the focus of much energy and frustration, but we often treat it as a private matter. The Bible, however, speaks often about stewardship and what it means in terms of the Kingdom. It's something we can all grow in, and our church and ministry will be blessed and vital as we learn the lessons God has in front of us.

Beginning June 14th at 9am a class will be offered based on Randy Alcorn's book, "Money, Possessions and Eternity". The six-week course will condense material from the book that deals with the Biblical approach to materialism, giving, and related matters. Come and grow together as God calls us to the next level of faithful stewardship at Redeemer.

Thank you for praying and giving sacrificially to the work of God at Church of the Redeemer.

Offering last week: $10,986
Offering needed each week: $6,600

Are you a skilled musician with a heart for worship? Or perhaps you have the ears and desire to work behind the scenes to enhance our worship by running sound? The music team is always looking for individuals to join our team as worship musicians or sound technicians, helping to lead our congregation in worship each Sunday. Even if you are unsure about how your gifts and enthusiasm for worship might fit in with our weekly worship, come to learn more about other opportunities to serve our congregation in music and worship. If you are interested in joining the team or in hearing more about other ways in which you can serve our congregation in worship, we invite you to come to a brief informational meeting on Sunday, June 7th, immediately following the service.

Newcomers to Church of the Redeemer are invited to lunch on June 14 to get to know others in the community and to learn more about the church and opportunities to be involved in its work. If you are new to Redeemer and are interested in becoming more fully integrated into the life of the church, please join us after worship for a light lunch and conversation. Please RSVP to Matthew Andris at (312) 208-9897 or at matthewandris [at] gmail.com.